Thinking of adopting a kitten, make it a double.
Mandy Cooper
Just a reminder that BCR does not adopt their cats. They live in their lifetime sanctuary
here at BCR.
Adopting a kitten? Make
it a double!
If
you're thinking about bringing a kitten into your life, there are many reasons
why you should consider doubling that and bringing home a pair. Starting off
with two may actually be much easier and more beneficial for the kittens and
for you. Coming into a new home isn't all that easy for a cat. There are a lot
of new smells, sounds, people and other pets. Cats are very territorial
creatures that don't tend to feel comfortable outside of their safe territory.
A new kitten coming into your home may feel a lot of anxiety until they have
made your home their home on their own terms.
When
you adopt two kittens who have already bonded before you adopt them, they at
least have one familiar piece of territory in place (each other). They can be
comforted by the presence of one another and learn about their new family and
home together. If you have an older kitty in your home, a new kitten could feel
rejected by that cat. Kittens have a lot of energy and they want to play and
although older cats may still be playful, they will not want to play as much as
the kitten does. Adopting two kittens will allow those kittens to get out their
energy with one another rather than bothering and older cat. Adopting kittens
that are littermates will create harmony in your family.
There
is no denying that kittens can be a lot of work and the first year can be like
caring for a human baby but adopting two kittens can take some of the burden
off of you by giving the kitten someone to play with. Just like humans, cats
are not born knowing all of the social rules. They only have a few short weeks
to learn how to live with humans. Cats have to learn to behave like cats and get
along with other cats. They spend their first several months learning how to
use a litter box, how to judge distances, hunting skills, communicating with
other cats, controlling aggression through play and what is dangerous and what
is not dangerous.
Here
are some great reasons why you should adopt in pairs:
• You're saving two lives
instead of one. If it's kitten season, that's one more kitten that will get a
home instead of growing into an adult which will decrease its chance of getting
adopted. It is true that kittens are much easier to place than adult cats.
• A kitten left alone during
the day can become lonely and bored which sometimes can lead to mischief. Two
kittens will never be lonely, especially if they are siblings
• An older cat will probably
accept two kittens better than one. One kitten will seek out the older cat as a
playmate or worse, tease and pester the older cat which can cause stress to an
older cat. The kitten in return will be rewarded for his playful efforts with
hisses and swats. Two kittens will use up their energy in play with each other
leaving any older cats to relax in peace.
• Kittens learn by copying. If
one kitten is quick to learn appropriate litter box use, the other will be more
likely to copy. They also help each other with grooming. Wash up after meals
soon becomes a ritual with two kittens.
• Even the most devoted human
caregiver can quickly become exhausted by trying to keep up with the energy of
a single kitten. Two kittens will wear each other out, leaving their human parent
free to just enjoy watching them.
• Many people who experience
behaviour problems with kittens find that some of them go away when they adopt
another playmate. What may be perceived as mischief is often just the result of
boredom. Much like their human friends, kittens sometimes misbehave because
negative attention is better than no attention.
• If one kitten is fussy about
food, the hostility is often overcome by curiosity at what its sibling/playmate
is eating.
• Kittens will often play so
hard that they simply flop where they are and more likely than not, they will
flop next to or on top of each other. There is no sight any better than seeing
two kittens curled up together for a nap.
• They are so amazing and fun
to watch. What more could you ask for?
• Two kittens who grow up
together will almost always be lifelong friends. Although they will sometimes
have their little squabbles, you will more often see them engaging in mutual
grooming, playing together and sleeping with their best friend. When thinking of
adopting a kitten, think about whether you would deprive your kitten of the
enrichment a friend brings to life.
• Kittens raised in pairs get
lots of exercise from playing with each other and develop better social skills.
• Two kittens will be able to
keep each other company while you are out or at work.
• Out of boredom, a single
kitten will often entertain itself by chewing plants, climbing curtains,
unrolling toilet paper, exploring electrical cords and sockets, etc. If you
have another kitten to tumble around and play with, it is less likely they will
need to entertain themselves in destructive and dangerous ways.
• Kittens are very active at
night. It is tough to get a good night's sleep when you have a rambunctious
kitten jumping on your head or attacking your toes. If given a buddy, they can
entertain themselves while you get your sleep.
• Related cats get along
together better. Did you know that wild cat colonies usually consist of related
cats? There is no guarantee of course that your cats will be friendly with each
other just because they are related but it can offer a huge head start in their
relationship.
• Cats that are introduced to
each other at an early age tend to get along better. It's also true that adult
cats accept new kittens more readily than other adult cats. Even if you get two
kittens from separate places, they will be what kittens are which is two
furballs of joy. If both kittens are born together, they will never consider
each other as a threat as they will see each other's presence as natural and
safe.
• Getting two kittens will
eliminate worries about introductions later. Introducing two cats to each other
does not always go as smoothly as you may hope. Despite cats being social
animals, they are territorial as well. Of course you can influence things but
why create the hassle when you can choose to get two kittens instead of one?
This also applies if you adopted two older cats from the same home, they
already know each other and are able to get along so you will not need to re introduce
them to one another.
• Getting two kittens will
reduce their re homing stress. Have you ever heard the advice about taking a
blanket from the previous home along with your kitten in order to reduce
stress? Forget the blanket. Take their littermate instead which will be far
more powerful in helping with the settling in. Think about it. If you were in a
threatening situation, what would make you feel safer? A friend or a blanket?
Just
remember that adopting two kittens saves lives and gives other cats and kittens
the chance to be taken in and looked after until they are ready for their
adopted home. Although kittens are better in pairs, they still require
attention from you and regular playtime. It's twice the love, twice the cuddles
and there's not much added cost to having a second kitten.
Kittens
are still in the learning stages and they learn from their mother, the
environment and from each other. Kitten to kitten interaction and playtime
helps them develop important social skills that will be needed later in life.
They learn how to communicate and read each other's signals, how to bite and
how to share territory and in the case of a litter of kittens, the siblings
have been together since birth and are already well into this process. They are
already bonded by the time you come along as a potential adoptive cat parent.
What a great way to start!
Another
benefit when you're considering a kitten is that in the case of adoption, the
kittens may have been without their mother. As is often the case in rescue, the
kittens are even too young to be away from their littermates. So much learning
and socialisation takes place in the early part of a kitten's life. If you
adopt a pair, the socialisation can continue and they can create security and
comfort for each other. Many people are under the impression that cats are
solitary and don't want companionship but they do have a social side and truly
benefit and thrive when they have a feline buddy.
After
the initial kitten vaccinations, the vet costs taper off in most cases. You'll
most likely just be dealing with routine yearly appointments and many vet
clinics offer discounts as well so be sure and check that out so you can save
even more money. Most kittens that you adopt from shelters or rescues have already
been vaccinated and spayed/neutered so that's one less money worry for you as
cat parents
With
kittens, you'll initially have the expense of one litter box until they grow
bigger and then you'll add a second box. Scratching posts aren't expensive and
if you're really creative, you can even make one for your kittens. When it
comes to food, they don't have as much as you might think and it's quite cheap
to feed kittens and cats. When it comes to toys and cat furniture, your biggest
expense will be a cat tree and you'd have that expense regardless of whether
you adopted one kitten or two and if you are at all familiar with cats, you
know that some of the best cat furniture are empty cardboard boxes.
When
it comes to care such as grooming, trimming nails and so on, if you start
training them to accept the process while they are young, then the process will
be very quick once they become adults. Train your kittens to enjoy being
touched and handled and it will make life much easier down the road should you
ever have to administer medication when they are older. It will also enable you
to do nail trims at home. They key is to start the training early, be
consistent and gentle. Make it a quick, fun experience that ends with a treat
or other reward.
Above
all, all that's required for adopting kittens is to open your heart and that's
not very hard to do if you adore cats and kittens.
References:
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